Beyond the Mother Tongue: The Postmonolingual Condition

by Yasemin Yildiz

Beyond the Mother Tongue examines distinct forms of multilingualism, such as writing in one socially unsanctioned “mother tongue” about another language (Franz Kafka); mobilizing words of foreign derivation as part of a multilingual constellation within one language (Theodor W. Adorno); producing an oeuvre in two separate languages simultaneously (Yoko Tawada); and mixing different languages, codes, and registers within one text (Feridun Zaimoglu).

Genres: Nonfiction, Linguistics, Language, Theory, Criticism, Post Colonial

306 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2013

Reviews

[Natalia Ree · Rating 4 out of 5]

"[...] the turn to the multilingual is not a simple, harmless act, but harbors new insights about the self that might force a rethinking of the subject, its communities, and its modes of belonging."

[Urja Joshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing! as a polyglot, i thoroughly enjoyed the interplay of multilinguisalism with monolingualism, as this book grapples with polyglot experiences in a post-monolingual world. though focused heavily on europe, and albeit the lack of acknowledgment of the specific cultural elements that create the space to have such experiences that are written in the book, the tensions that are revealed foster questions and creativity over language and its place in the world, specifically in the framework of the “mother tongue.”